climbing takes too long
by Anrheithwyr
Summary: Lavender might not have ever spoken to Lee again, except that Parvati so politely reminded her that there was, in fact, a war going on around them, and Lee was being extremely reckless and stupid by working for the anti-Death Eater radios and Potterwatch, and Lavender might never see Lee alive another time, not ever again, something which had not occurred to Lavender in her anger


_**Written for the 'Quidditch League Competition' Round 12: Write about your OTP (Chaser 2, Puddlemere United.) Um…I don't really have an OTP, but I like Lee/Lavender a lot. Using "We didn't have to fall in love, we could've climbed down slowly." – **__**Upset Boulevard**__**, Spector, Dialogue: "Keep looking at me like that, I dare you.", "The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." ― Ernest Hemingway.**_

_**Written for the 'If You Dare Challenge' by Slytherin Cat, using prompt # 156, future.**_

_**Written for the 'Ten Times Ten Challenge' by she who is made of stars, using Institution: Dumbledore's Army.**_

….

_"We didn't have to fall in love, we could've climbed down slowly." – __Upset Boulevard__, Spector_

….

_"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." ― Ernest Hemingway_

….

He wants to say _I love you_

but he keeps it to _goodnight_

because love will mean some falling

and she's afraid of heights.

-r.i.d

...

Lavender might not have ever spoken to Lee again, except that Parvati so politely reminded her that there was, in fact, a _war _going on around them, and Lee was being extremely reckless and stupid by working for the anti-Death Eater radios and _Potterwatch_, and Lavender might never see Lee alive another time, not ever again, something which had not occurred to Lavender in her anger at him.

And, so, she swallowed her pride that Christmas and decided to go see him-or, rather, she pretended that she had forgotten to give him his coat back all those months ago and just casually _stayed _at his flat for another two or three hours, watching him talk, his hands moving and his voice changing in pitch as he excitedly explained his plan to her.

She stood outside of his flat (which was on the first floor) for what felt like ages, wondering if she had the courage to even walk up from the sidewalk and knock on the door, because, Gryffindor or not, Lee is so much older and smarter than she could ever hope to be-braver, too, because he is doing something to stop You-Know-Who, and Lavender can't even say the man's name.

She almost walked away, almost left without saying _hello,_ or _how are you, _or _please don't leave me alone ever again, my bed is terribly empty without you, can't you please just accept my apology so we can all go back to normal_; she almost became too scared, but it was Lee who kept her there by opening the door and smiling down at her, like nothing had happened, like she hadn't said all those awful things to him just back in August.

He was taller than she remembered, his dreadlocks longer and more haggard, and she saw the lines of a hundred nights of poor sleep, but he was also just as amazingly handsome as he was in her dreams, and Lavender nearly starting crying right then; she wanted to run and hug him, but the memory of their last fight pulls her back, reminding Lavender that she had no place just leaping at him when she was still somewhat mad at him.

"It's nice to you again, Lavender Brown," he said to her and Lavender's heart tossed itself to the ground, shattering into a million pieces, and she remembered why she had fallen-_fallen, not climbed slowly and cautiously-_for him the first place, because he always called her Lavender Brown, every time they'd seen each other, even when they had been yelling and fighting-_hello, Lavender Brown, good-bye Lavender Brown. _

"Hey, Lee," she replied quietly, still standing on the curb, watching him watch her, wondering if maybe their argument _had _been childishly stupid, as Parvati had suggested, because, right then, looking at Lee, she couldn't imagine having ever been mad at him, this young man who is so kind and peaceful and _strong_, everything she had ever wanted, standing in the door, just metres away from herself.

Neither moved for the longest time, just staring at each other, waiting for something-anything-to happen, as though some great force would blow in and suddenly make everything right, as though a wind would come whipping by and erase their memories of the fight, of the awful things they'd said and done to each other, screaming like angry children, hurting each with words-because words, sometimes, hurt the most of all.

"Keep looking at me like that, I dare you," Lee finally said, laughing, and the barrier broke then, sharply splitting in two, and Lavender laughed-but she also cried-running towards him, arms outstretched to greet him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, and wetting his collar with her noisy sobs; because she had been angry with him for months, but she also loved him the entire time, unable to keep herself away from him for too long.

"I'm sorry, Lee….I'm sorry I didn't trust you to keep yourself safe, to stay protected-I'm sorry I didn't think your radio station was a good idea, I thought you were going to get caught, and then they were going to kill you, and I didn't want that to happen to you, Lee, because I love you so much and…_I'm so sorry, _Lee, I'm sorry I didn't trust you, I'm so sorry!" No one would ever say Lavender Brown wasn't overdramatic, but Lee only patted her on the back, leading Lavender inside his flat.

As Lee wandered into the kitchen in search of beer, Lavender looked around his flat, which was sparse, except for a few pictures of friends-and her, she noted, blushing slightly; she was reminded of their days together in Dumbledore's Army, when he would tease her for having a crush on Ron, and Lee would joke that one day in the future, the two of them would probably get married-except, Weasley's disappeared, and it was Lee who handed her a cold drink.

"Did you really come all the way out here just to make up with me, Lavender Brown?" Lee raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised, but she only smiled and sipped her beer, wishing her mum wasn't expecting Lavender back home in a few hours, because she wanted to stay with him for hours and hours, _making up with him, _until he had no choice but to forgive her, or kick her out.

"I really meant it, about being sorry that I didn't trust you, Lee, I really am-I just…I guess I kind've panicked when you told me, because all I could think about was you….them finding you and hurting you a-and…I didn't think I could handle that, you know, because I'm in love with you-really in love with you, head over heels, falling so fast I think I'm going to crash kind of love, and I just came to say I'm sorry I nearly wrecked all of that."

"You didn't wreck anything, Lavender Brown-I don't blame you, not after all those warning we got in D.A. meetings every few days, about the dangers of speaking out, of making yourself too obvious; I don't blame you for worrying about my safety-I'm actually kind've flattered that you think about me so much, Lavender Brown-and I'm sorry that I didn't think about how you'd feel, given the…_possibilities of danger _that my job presents right now."

She stared at him, taking in his every move, his every word, her brain trying to make sense of what he was saying-it was the opposite of their conversation from August, when the two of them had yelled and raged and thrown things at each other, both convinced that _yes, yes, I'm the one in the right here, you're being completely irrational_, both convinced that this was the end, they were done, over, parted fir the rest of forever.

But now, as Lee smiled and sipped at his beer, she could see that, of course, they had both been very stupid (and Parvati had been very smart in pointing that much out) in thinking that this relationship was a one-way street with only one answer to any situation; there was still so much they could be doing together, and all the time in the world to be doing it-and they oughtn't be wasting their time arguing with each other and not speaking for months.

_Just make up and say it, you twits, just say it-I love you, good-night, let's fall in love together all over again, grab hands and fall….fall…fall, because climbing takes too long. _


End file.
